Nehemiah Rebuilds the Wall

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Nehemiah served the king of Persia, far from home. One day he heard that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates had been burned.

And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

Nehemiah 1:3 KJV

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Nehemiah sat down and wept. For days he fasted and prayed to the God of heaven.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

Nehemiah 1:4 KJV

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The king saw that Nehemiah was sad. Nehemiah prayed, then asked, “Please send me to Jerusalem, so I can rebuild it.”

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.

Nehemiah 2:5 KJV

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The king said yes, and gave him letters and timber for the gates, because the good hand of God was upon Nehemiah.

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Nehemiah 2:8 KJV

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In Jerusalem, Nehemiah went out by night and looked at the walls, which were broken down, with gates burned by fire.

And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

Nehemiah 2:13 KJV

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He told the people, “Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem!” They answered, “Let us rise up and build.”

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

Nehemiah 2:18 KJV

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Their enemies laughed at them. Tobiah said that even a fox climbing on their wall would knock it down!

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

Nehemiah 4:3 KJV

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But the people prayed to God and set guards day and night. The builders worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other.

They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

Nehemiah 4:17 KJV

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And the wall was finished in just fifty-two days!

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

Nehemiah 6:15 KJV

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Nehemiah told the people to celebrate: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 KJV